Vulnerability to childhood problems and family social background.
The relationship between family social background and risks of problems in the areas of health, education, behaviour and offending was examined in a birth cohort of New Zealand children studied to the age of 11 years. The analysis showed the presence of small consistent correlations between family social background and individual outcomes on a range of childhood measures. These correlations ranged from 0.12 to 0.31 with a median value of 0.18. The association between family social background and childhood outcomes was modelled using LISREL modelling methods which assumed that this association was mediated by common non-observed vulnerability processes. This analysis suggested that while variations in family social background act as relatively weak determinants of specific problem outcomes, these factors had a relatively strong influence on the child's generalized vulnerability to a wide range of childhood problems. The implications of these results for research into social background and childhood are discussed.
Fergusson
D M
DM
Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch School of Medicine, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand.
Horwood
L J
LJ
Lawton
J M
JM
D000124:Achievement; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010553:Personality Development; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors